Oday25 vs Catalina 25 vs Hunter 23

[misailor28]

I am looking for a boat to buy this spring to sail with my fiancee. I am looking for something between 22-25 feet. I will be keeping it at a Marina and launching and storing there so I don't actually need to be able to trailer the boat.

For the slips available for my budget I need to keep the draft 4 feet or less. The Catalia25 fin keel is okay. The Catalina25 and Oday25 would need to be in the well with keel retracted since they are both 5 to 6 feet keel down. Is it okay to keep keel retracted for extended periods of time in the water. The boat is going to be sailed on Lake St Clair which is fresh water.

My budget for boat purchase is $5000 or less. I may also consider a Catalina22/Oday22 as well. In the past I have owned both a Catalina22 and 27. I have not had a boat for the last 6 years and am getting ready to give it another go. I have no intention of racing and just looking for mainly a daysailor that I might use for the occasional overnight.

 

[Stu Jackson]

I'd ask the C25 skippers about the keel up

all the time: http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/default.asp?CAT_ID=1

 

[BobM]

Sure I can't talk you into increasing your budget? Not my boat but very nice.

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/9815

 

[BobM]

Don't forget S2! They were built in MI and built many boats in the size range you are looking for like the 7.3. Build quality is a bit better than most, especially the gelcoat.

http://bloomington.craigslist.org/boa/1574450835.html with a trailer for $4500! I'd buy it but I have a bigger one already.

 

[Bill1565]

C-22 and Hunter 23 are SMALL boats. O'day25 , C-25 will be much nicer to overnight on.

 

[sailingdog]

If you're going to overnight on the boat, I'd recommend getting the largest boat you can, since cabin space will be important to the Admiral more likely than not... Having a trailer is a nice option, as it can allow you to store the boat at home during the off-season, and save you some storage fees.

 

[Jalepeno]

Long time ago I belonged to a group that had three Catalina 22 (keel models), two Martin 242, a Kelt 7.6 and two Catalina 27 sailboats. All of them had headsail furling. I sailed these (mostly solo) for a number of years before it came time to buy a sailboat. I found the Catalina 22 to be slow, the Martin 242 to be too much of a race boat and the Catalina 27 moorage too expensive (here we keep our sailboats in the saltchuck year round and you pay by overall length, 27ft + 2 ft for outboard = 29ft ~ $4,000/year). I wanted to buy a Kelt 7.6 because the outboard is in a well (25ft ~ $3,000/year), they have more room inside than the Catalina 27 and are fast. I could not find one so I bought a 1986 Hunter 23 wing keel (it had a trailer but I never used it) because I found the Hunter 23 wing keel to be faster and easier to sail single handed and can take heavier weather than a Catalina 22. I have since moved up to a CAL 2-25 and love this boat.

 

[cephius (Dave)]

I keep the swing keel up whenever I'm in my slip. It drags in the mud otherwise.

I can enter the slip with it down. It allows forward motion, but not reverse. On a very windy day I use this to my advantage to get the boat into the slip and keep if from blowing off until I get the lines secured.

The keel comes up and stays up so the boat can float in the slip. I don't lower it again until I motor out of the marina and get ready to raise my sails.

 

[Ron20324]

I was looking at all 25-footers a few years back. Then I found the Beneteau 235 and bought it. There's a great web site for the B235.